FACT 1 Don’t count on your sense of smell, taste and sight to tell if a food is safe. Each year in the United States, 76 million people become ill from a foodborne illness and 5,000 people die.

Would this many people eat something if they thought it tasted, looked or smelled bad?

Even if tasting would tell and it often doesn’t ... a "tiny taste" could be deadly. As few as 10 bacteria could cause food-borne illnesses, such as E.coli!

MYTH 2 If you get sick from eating a food, it was from the last food you ate.

FACT 2 It can take 30 minutes to six weeks to become sick from unsafe foods. You usually feel OK immediately after eating and become sick later.

MYTH 3 The worst that could happen to you with a foodborne illness is an upset stomach.

FACT 3 You also can experience the following from a foodborne illness: vomiting, fever, diarrhea, dehydration. Less common, but possible severe conditions include: Meningitis, paralysis and death.

MYTH 4 If I’ve never been sick from the food I prepare, I don’t need to worry about feeding it to others.

FACT 4 Some people have a greater risk for foodborne illnesses. A food you can safely eat might make others sick. People with a higher risk for foodborne illness include: Infants, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems and individuals with certain chronic diseases.

MYTH 5 If you let a food sit out more than two hours, you can make it safe by heating it really hot!

FACT 5 Some bacteria, such as staphylococcus (staph), produce poisons not destroyed by high cooking temperatures.

MYTH 6 Meat and poultry should be washed before cooking.

FACT 6 Washing is NOT necessary or recommended. Washing increases the danger of cross-contamination, spreading bacteria present on the surface of meat and poultry to: